No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: There have been few reports suggesting involvement of mast cell and neutrophil to induce bronchoconstriction in aspirin-sensitive asthrna. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate mast cell and neutrophil activation in pathogenesis of aspirin-sensitive asthma. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We observed changes of serum NCA and MPO levels during L-ASA bronchoprovocation test in 14 subjects with aspirin-sensitive asthma. RESULTS: Serum NCA was significantly increased at 30 min(p=0.01) after the inhalation of L-ASA and then, no significant changes were noted at 240 min (p=0.14). NCA was significantly higher in subjects with late asthmatic responses than in those without it (p=0.04). Serum MPO level tended to increase at 30 min with no statistical significance (p=0.08), and then it significantly decreased at 240 min (p=0.05). There was no significant correlation between serum NCA and MPO level (r=0.22, p=0.58). CONCLUSION: These results support the view that NCA derived from mast cell may contribute to neutrophil recruitment into the airway in aspirin-sensitive asthmatic patients.
Asthma ; Bronchoconstriction ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Mast Cells ; Neutrophil Activation ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Neutrophils*

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate differences in unmet dental care needs according to employment status and if factors have relevance to unmet dental care needs due to "economic burden" and "no time to spare for visiting". METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors that affected the prevalence of unmet dental care needs due to "economic burden" and "no time to spare for visiting" in an economically active population comprised of subjects aged 20-64 years. RESULTS: Compared to regular workers, part-time workers experienced 1.28-times more unmet dental care needs, while students experienced 0.64-times fewer unmet dental care needs. With regard to reasons related to "economic burden", the rate of experiencing unmet dental care needs was 1.37-times higher for part-time workers than for regular workers. Regarding reasons related to "no time to spare for visiting", the rate of experiencing unmet dental care needs was 0.51-times lower in part-time workers compared with regular workers. In economically inactive people, these values were 0.51-times lower in the unemployed, 0.37-times lower in students, 0.23-times lower in house workers, 0.20-times lower in subjects with disease and injury, and 0.20-times lower in early retirees compared to regular workers. CONCLUSIONS: Part-time workers experienced more unmet dental care needs compared with regular workers. With regard to "economic burden", a significant difference in unmet dental care needs was observed between regular workers and part-time workers. Additionally, regarding "no time to spare for visiting", people who were economically inactive because of unemployment, student or house-worker status, diseases and injury, and retirement experienced fewer unmet dental care needs compared with regular workers.
Dental Care* ; Employment* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prevalence ; Retirement ; Unemployment

Fibrates, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α agonists, are potent lipid-modifying drugs. Their main effects are reduction of triglycerides and increase in high-density lipoprotein levels. Several randomized controlled trials have not demonstrated their benefits on cardiovascular risk reduction, especially as an “add on” to statin therapy. However, subsequent analyses by major clinical trials, meta-analyses, and real-world evidence have proposed their potential in specific patient populations with atherogenic dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. Here, we have reviewed and discussed the accumulated data on fibrates to understand their current status in cardiovascular risk management.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of nutrition education on nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, and food behavior of college students. The subjects of this study were 350 college students attending a university. The education group students received nutrition education three hours per week during a 4-week period offered in a 'Home Economics' course. A total of 150 students in the education group and 200 students in the non-education group completed pre-test questionaires examining nutrition knowledge, dietary attitudes, and food behaviors. Major findings were as follows : nutrition knowledge, and food behavior of the education group were improved compared to the non-education group. But significant changes were not observed in dietary attitudes in the education group. There were higher correlations between nutrition knowledge and dietary attitudes score, and between dietary attitudes and food behavior score at the posttest than those at the pretest. These results suggest that nutrition education for college students can effectively improve their nutrition knowledge and food behaviors.
Education* ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing Symptoms of Stress among hospital staff nurses. METHOD: Data was collected by questionnaires from 249 hospital staff nurses in three General Hospital. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The score of the symptoms of stress showed a significantly positive correlation with the score of work stress(r=.22, p=.00). The symptoms of stress showed a significantly negative correlation with the score of social support(r=-.28, p=.00), self efficacy(r=-.31, p=.00), and hardiness(r=-.24, p=.00). The most powerful predictor of symptoms of stress was social support and the variance explained was 16%. A combination of social support, ways of coping, and work stress account for 32% of the variance in symptoms of stress among hospital staff nurses. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that social support, ways of coping, self efficacy, hardiness, and work stress are significantly influencing factors on symptoms of stress among hospital staff nurses.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Self Efficacy ; Social Support ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis/etiology/*psychology

BACKGROUND: During a 1-month period in 2005 , a series of 4 Leclercia adecarboxylata and 8 Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremias were reported from patients admitted to the emergency room. METHODS: An outbreak of L. adecarboxylata and P. aeruginosa bacteremia that occurred from February to March 2005 was investigated. The infection control nurse reviewed medical records and observed the procedures of blood cultures at the clinical microbiology laboratory. Specimens were obtained for investigational cultures from alcohol sponge, tray, sink, water of sink, saline cotton, microscope, computer, and telephone. RESULTS: L. adecarboxylata was isolated from 4 patients and P. aeruginosa from 8 patients during a 1-month period. Observation of the culture procedure revealed that saline cotton was used to prevent betadin skin discoloration. The culture of the saline solution yielded a heavy growth of P. aeruginosa, which was not isolated from any other specimens. CONCLUSIONS: This was a pseudoepidemic caused by contaminated saline cotton. The use of the saline cotton was stopped, and during the follow-up period of 3 months, no additional L. adecarboxylata or P. aeruginosa bacteremia were reported.
Bacteremia ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Medical Records ; Porifera ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Skin ; Sodium Chloride ; Telephone ; Water

Since the US Food and Drug Administration issued guidance requiring cardiovascular safety for all antidiabetic drugs in 2008 (US FDA industry guidance for licensing of antidiabetic drugs), the number of cardiovascular outcome trials in diabetes has remarkably increased. Cardiovascular outcome trial is considered a gold standard for establishing the cardiovascular safety of antidiabetic agents. However, there are possible limitations in information gained from cardiovascular outcome trials and other issues such as cost. In this review, we summarize recent cardiovascular outcome trials in type 2 diabetes and provide an overview of the implications and limitations of those trials.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Licensure ; United States Food and Drug Administration

During past several years, a novel class of antihyperglycemic agents, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, has become one of the most important options in the management of type 2 diabetes. These agents have unique insulinotropic actions as well as other advantages such as lower hypoglycemia and a weight-neutral effect compared to traditional insulin secretagogues. To date, 6 different DPP-4 inhibitors have been introduced: sitagliptin, vildagliptin, saxagliptin, linagliptin, alogliptin and gemiglitin. This review provides a summary of the clinical data for each DPP-4 inhibitor, and discusses the similarities and differences between them.
Adamantane ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dipeptides ; Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors ; Hypoglycemia ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Incretins ; Insulin ; Nitriles ; Piperidines ; Purines ; Pyrazines ; Pyrrolidines ; Quinazolines ; Triazoles ; Uracil ; Linagliptin ; Sitagliptin Phosphate

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are newer classes of glucose-lowering agents that are currently widely used in clinical practice. Their glycemic efficacy and cardiovascular safety have been well proven, and recent large clinical trials even have shown cardiovascular benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors. However, data regarding drug-related long-term safety remain inconclusive. Recently, several safety issues related to DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors have been raised by cardiovascular outcome trials or post-marketing pharmacoepidemiological studies. In this review, we summarize emerging safety issues regarding the use of DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes and suggest how to interpret and apply these results to clinical practice.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors ; Glucose* ; Sodium*